Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-11-11
CHAPTER XXI


Several days before the occurrence Of the
incidents set forth in the foregoing chapters,
there had arrived at the village Of Bar Har-
Dor note that awakened no little interest
in the family of the Gulnares, dwellers at
the lovely mansion OF desert Rock" A
card, bearing the address, "Windsor Hotel,
N Y.,m accompanied the letter that read as
follows;
'DEAR D.; have just learned Of the sud
denly-planned departure for America of a
very dear friend. As we are great chums,
and know something Of the loneliness of
young girl in strange land, have given
her several letters of introduction TO old
time friends who knew me as plain Miss
jerome. May / count upon you, too, to
show her some attention. She is one Of my
most admired and dearest friends. don't
think you will consider me going too far
when add, she must, therefore, be very
lovely and attractive"
The note was from the wife of we'll
known English peer
Upon arriving in New York, Lydia mailed
this letter with several others Of similar
character. 1t was reforwardcd to Bar Har-
Dor and one result of its receipt was the
sudden departure Of young Mr. and Miss
Gunare for New York city with the pur-
pose of pursuading Lady Lydia Broadacres
70 spend with them the remaining weeks Of
their sojourn at Desert Rock.
Having once entered upon her mission,
Lydia was resolved upon carrying it
through to the end Natalie must be found,
or her own suspicious forever laid at rest
She decided upon paying brief visit to q
certain remote village, bost made known
by sentence copied from previously
mentioned note of Mr.. Richard Oxford's:
~ shall often think Of him, far away in
that quiet little village Of Drifton in Penn
sylvania.n
Informing her aunt that she had heard
great deal about the coal mines and the
unique scenery OF the mining district of
Pennsylvania, she declared her intention of
Immediately inspecting the region around
about Hazleton in Luzerne County.
Under assumed names, they registered at
little hotel in the village Of Upper Lehigh,
Yania.
Prof. John Fairfax, dignifol, gray.
haired old gentleman, was 10 charge Of 70
male seminary in the town. He was well-to-
do only in the size Of his family, consisting
Of several daughters and two sons, Arthur
ind Dana Fairfax.
Mr.. Arthur Fairfax was absent-no one
knew where. Still this fact, although not all
reassuring, was by no. means conclusive
proof Of his guilt. So "mY Lady LYDIA re-
solved to profit by his absence.
Ere her departure she had learned much
nbout the town, more about the Farfaxes,
and, most of all, about Mr.. Arthur Fairfax.
She heard, too, the history of his disappoint
ments and his present unhappy state of in.
decision. But, the more she learned about
him and the more she saw of his fathers
family, the moro she began to think that it
was impossible that he should be any thing
else but Innocent
Lydia was what might be called a prac.
teal dreamer; and, TO be candid, many OF
her musings latterly were chiefly upon ono
subject, and much in the following extra
ordinary vein:
Her estates were large; her tenants man.
fold. They, Of course, would vote for tho
man of her choice, should he offer himself
us u Parliamentary candidate. How much
better would be her life could she marry O
man whom she might thus help. How much
happier than II mated with some roue, heI
equal in wealth and station, perhaps, bu'
tired Of life and in bidse; whom was no am
bition and no apparent interest in the world
at large.
These, and thoughts like these, constant
~ floated through her mind. Can she be
blamed if they were in connection with but
one mani
Her very mission, together with the ex'
tremely satisfactory results Of her invest'
cations as TO Fairfax's character and ante
cedents were such as could scarcely fail to
interest the coolest and most fastidious
woman. Lydia found her interest growing
80 warm that she, at last, allowed herself
TO come to deHnitely-shaped resolve, al
though somewhat staggered at first, by the
very boldness and unwomanly nature Of
the latter. In character IL was somewhat
as follows:
When she should eventually find this man,
Fairfax, he and fate together with little
assistance from me,n so she naively told
herself must once and for all "decide this
matter" as she was pleased to call it,
But deep down in her heart was the con-
vction never uttered, yet all-powerful, that
for what she gave she must receive genuine